E-Mail to Job Retention

1. A method of sending a print job to a printer, comprising: attaching at least one document for the print job to an e-mail message; specifying instructions for printing the at least one document within the e-mail message, the instructions comprising user selected printing attributes for printing the at least one document; sending the e-mail message with the at least one document attached thereto and the instructions for printing the at least one document specified therein over a network to an e-mail enabled printer, where the e-mail enabled printer includes e-mail client software; and extracting the at least one document and the instructions for printing the at least one document from the e-mail message by the e-mail enabled printer.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the at least one document in job retention of the e-mail enabled printer.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising specifying instructions for said storing the at least one document in said job retention in a portion of the e-mail message, and reading said instructions for said storing the at least one document by said e-mail enabled printer.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said storing the at least one document in said job retention comprises storing the at least one document in said job retention in accordance with an e-mail address from which the e-mail message was sent.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising printing the at least one document by the e-mail enabled printer in accordance with the instructions for printing.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said specifying instructions for said printing comprises specifying said instructions within a body of the e-mail message.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said specifying instructions for said printing further comprises specifying access to the at least one document.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said specifying instructions for said printing further comprises specifying scheduling instructions for scheduling said printing of the at least one document.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing printer readable language for the at least one document with the e-mail message.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising encoding said printer readable language prior to said sending the e-mail message over a network.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said encoding comprises encoding said printer readable language in MIME encoding fields.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one document is attached to the e-mail message in an application-specific format.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising converting the application specific format into a print ready file by the e-mail enabled printer.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one document is attached to the e-mail message in a bit-mapped image format.

15. A method of distributing a document for printing, comprising: attaching at a workstation at least one document to an e-mail message; specifying instructions for printing the at least one document within the e-mail message, the instructions comprising user selected printing attributes for printing the at least one document; sending the e-mail message with the at least one document attached thereto and the instructions for printing the at least one document specified therein to an e-mail enabled print server of a local network; extracting the at least one document and the instructions for printing the at least one document from the e-mail message at the e-mail enabled print server; and sending the at least one document and the instructions for printing the at least one document to a network printer of the local network by the e-mail enabled print server.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising converting the at least one document into a print ready file by the e-mail enabled print server prior to said sending the at least one document to the network printer.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising storing the at least one document in a job retention portion of the network printer.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising printing the at least one document by the network printer in accordance with the instructions for printing.

19. A system for receiving and distributing a remotely sent print job to a network printer, comprising: an e-mail enabled print server for communication with a network, the e-mail enabled print server configured for receiving from a remote workstation an e-mail message having a document sent as a print job attached thereto and instructions for printing the document specified therein, the instructions comprising user selected printing attributes for printing the document, and the e-mail enabled print server configured for extracting the document and the instructions from the e-mail message and for transmitting the document and the instructions to at least one network printer; and a network printer configured to be communicatively coupled to the e-mail enabled print server over the network, the network printer configured for storing and for printing print jobs transmitted by the e-mail enabled print server.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the e-mail enabled print server includes at least one microprocessor configured for converting the document sent as a print job into a print ready file.

21. A computer system for processing print jobs, comprising: an e-mail enabled device for creating and sending an e-mail having an attachment attached thereto and instructions for printing the attachment specified therein, the instructions comprising user selected printing attributes for printing the attachment; an e-mail enabled printer incorporating e-mail client software for receiving the e-mail, for extracting the attachment and the instructions for printing the attachment from the e-mail, and for printing the attachment in accordance with the instructions; and a network for communicating e-mail between said e-mail enabled device and said e-mail enabled printer.

22. The computer system of claim 21 , wherein said e-mail enabled printer includes a job retention memory for storing print jobs.

23. The computer system of claim 21 , wherein said e-mail enabled printer comprises a set of instructions for encoding and decoding attachments into a printer readable language.

24. A computer system for processing print jobs, comprising: an e-mail enabled device for creating and sending an e-mail having an attachment attached thereto and instructions for printing the attachment specified therein, the instructions comprising user selected printing attributes for printing the attachment; an e-mail enabled print server for receiving said e-mail, for extracting said attachment and said instructions for printing said attachment from said e-mail, and for sending said attachment and said instructions for printing said attachment for printing; a network printer for receiving said attachment and said instructions for printing said attachment from said e-mail enabled print server, and for printing said attachment in accordance with said instructions; and a network for facilitating communications between said e-mail enabled device, said e-mail enabled print server, and said network printer.